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Papermate Inkjoys: Pens that are worth your penny
Reviewed by Sophia Christensen on
January 25, 2019.

1 voteAs a student of Gull Lake, I frequently take notes for my classes, and although I consider myself a proponent of the paperless classroom movement, I have to admit that nothing beats the sensation of good old fashioned handwritten notes. However, despite my penchant for writing out notes, I was just recently initiated into […]

1 voteAs a student of Gull Lake, I frequently take notes for my classes, and although I consider myself a proponent of the paperless classroom movement, I have to admit that nothing beats the sensation of good old fashioned handwritten notes. However, despite my penchant for writing out notes, I was just recently initiated into […]

As a student of Gull Lake, I frequently take notes for my classes, and although I consider myself a proponent of the paperless classroom movement, I have to admit that nothing beats the sensation of good old fashioned handwritten notes. However, despite my penchant for writing out notes, I was just recently initiated into the pen collection scene when I received a package of 16 Papermate Inkjoy gel pens as a gift.

When I extracted my gel pens from their tissue paper and gift wrap cocoon, what initially struck me was how wide the color range was, and how vibrant. The package I received contains all of the colors of the rainbow, and then some, each with its own bright hue.

Having an expansive color range is essential for me because I often take notes and being able to use a different colored pen for each header, subheader, etc. can greatly improve readability.

Aside from the great variety of colors, I also noticed that the pens were packaged in clear plastic with a cardboard backing. Something that I really appreciated was that there is a hole in the clear plastic that allows prospective buyers to feel the texture of the pens.

Straight out of the packaging, each pen has a small ball of plastic on the nib to keep the ink inside fresh. The plastic is easy to remove, and it’s a nice touch that ensures that your pens haven’t dried out before you use them.

On the barrel is a clear plastic window that allows you to see the amount of ink remaining in the pen. Photo by Caidyn Hutchinson

The barrels of the pens are covered in a soft but firm plastic material that provides a comfortable grip for the user and small indents in the plastic help prevent any slippage. Also on the barrel is a clear plastic window that allows you to see the amount of ink remaining in the pen.

Overall, the build of the pen feels very sturdy, durable and comfortable to use. The clicking mechanism is nice and firm, and I feel like these pens will last a long time. My main gripe with the build is that the pen clip is made of plastic, which feels like it’s just waiting to be broken. Although I would have preferred a metal clip, the Inkjoy more than makes up for this small flaw with its comfortable and attractive design.

In terms of performance, I am very pleased with these pens. In general, they write fluidly, and the ink flows from the pen smoothly and in a continuous, saturated stream. Although, and this may just be me, it does seem like the darker colored pens write more smoothly than the lighter colors (looking at you, yellow). Inkjoys also boast a quick drying time and thus less smudging. The smudging, if it does happen, is pretty minor compared to other pens I’ve used (cough, BIC Cristal).

The surface of the barrels of the pens is lined with small indentations to increase friction and grip. Photo by Caidyn Hutchinson

If you’re interested in picking up some Papermate Inkjoys of your very own, you’re in luck as they are well stocked at most office, department, big box and basically every other kind of store you can think of. And, if you’re not one for leaving the house (me neither), you can also find them for order on Amazon. The Inkjoys come in both 0.5mm and 0.7mm sizes if you’re concerned about line width, of which mine the latter.

Inkjoy gel pens are a good option for students who like taking multicolored notes, for writing in general, and for any sort of doodling or coloring. The pens write smoothly, they feel comfortable in the hand, they feature an eye-catching design, and they won’t break the bank. My only grievances are the plastic clip and the fact that they bleed a little bit. As such, the Papermate Inkjoy gel pens get a mark of approval from me.

In general, the pens write fluidly and the ink flows from the pen smoothly and in a continuous, saturated stream, though the darker colors do seem to perform better. Photo by Caidyn Hutchinson

I'm a senior at Gull Lake High School and this is my first year on The Reflection staff, so I guess you could call me a newspaper newbie. I joined the newspaper sort of on a whim because I wanted to put the skills I learned in Multimedia and Reporting to work, but I'm here to stay and enjoy the ride. I like to write feature articles because I love the facet of newspaper that is giving people an outlet to speak their minds.

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